Harry's Discovery
by luisroyo
Summary: Harry discovers his true love is a lot closer than he knew. A late night visit to the Restricted Section yields a complete change in Harry's life, but as Tom once said, it's amazing what can happen with a book and a silly little girl. Set in their sixth year, with romance, sex, and just a little bondage.
1. Chapter 1

An Evening Sojourn

As a sixth year student, and now 16 years old, this wasn't the first time that Harry Potter had visited the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. Wearing his father's invisibility cloak, he crept slowly along the corridor, checking his map to insure that Filch and Mrs. Norris were properly occupied. He shuddered to recall his first such trip, back in his first year. Of all the terrors he had faced after discovering he was a wizard, the howling face, forever trapped in the book, was still one of those that would give him a start. At times, even Voldemort seemed less frightening than that face and scream, forever encased in those pages.

He slowly navigated the aisles of the main library and slipped through the gate into the small restricted section. This trip was unique: he wasn't looking for anything in particular. He thought of this as an exploration, with no particular aim or goal. As a sixth year, he simply had time on his hands and was looking for adventure. Maybe a book about...well...something. He didn't quite know what. Maybe Occlumency. God knows, he never really learned much about it from Snape. Those nights had simply been torture sessions...one of Dumbledore's few screw-ups.

The more he thought about things, the more he was interested in the actions of a Pensieve. How did it work and how did you store things in it? Could it accurately repeat memories that you really couldn't summon accurately? When he had seen it in Dumbledore's office, even the figure of Professor Trelawney from 16 years before seemed so accurate, and the death eater trials before that were so vivid. Was Dumbledore's memory that good, or did the Pensieve help somehow? Well, maybe he'd look for that.

As he rounded the corner of the first aisle, books that he had seen before came into view. You could see these from the regular library, if you looked through the last bay of shelves, which, of course, everyone did. Now he could read the titles...Unbreakable Hexes...The Last Jinxes You'll Ever Need...Shedding Light on the Dark Arts. Up on the top shelf he saw an old friend, Moste Potente Potions. It brought back the memories of his second year, when he and Ron became Crabb and Goyle and Hermione tried to be Millicent Bulstrode's cat. Harry smiled as he remembered Hermione in the hospital wing, coughing up furballs.

As he moved along, he found a section devoted entirely to potions. While he knew he should be interested in this, since his N.E.W.T. class with Snape was a vital part of his desire to become an auror, he kept looking, for something and nothing. He stopped at the end of the shelf and paused. Between the last two books was a space, like a book was missing or checked out. But when he looked deeper, there was a book there, pushed back so it couldn't be seen from the front. After staring for a moment, Harry's curiosity finally got the best of him, and he moved the invisibility cloak aside to reach the book. It was tightly squeezed and he had to use two hands to pry open the space to free it.

The binding was worn, and the old leather retained only a portion of the lettering, nowhere near enough to make out complete words. His curiosity raised, Harry opened the cover to see what it was. His surprise was now complete. The title was written in very old script and he had to work to make letters out of the shapes. Finally, he realized what it said...Magic between Witches and Wizards, Spells and Potions That Affect Relationships.

Harry wasn't certain, but somehow it seemed he'd found exactly what he wanted. After the disaster of his evening at the Tri-Wizard's Cup Ball with Parvati, and his equally painful failures with Cho last year, this looked like his kind of book. Of course, he had no idea who he might target with this knowledge, but somehow it had to be useful stuff.

Now he turned a few pages into the book. There were recipes for Love Potions amidst the drawings of witches and wizards in suggestive poses. He'd heard about potions like this, and no less than Rita Skeeter had suggested they were being used by Hermione. He also knew that school rules forbade them. Probably a good idea, he thought. Then he went on.

He turned to the next page, not knowing what to expect. It was a potion to prevent pregnancy. Well, he thought, that seemed obvious, given the book's title. As a million thoughts ran through his mind, Harry decided to "check it out" and slipped the book under his robe. He concluded that his exploration was over for tonight, and after carefully reviewing the map, made his way back to his dormitory high in the Gryffindor tower. Since tomorrow was Saturday, without classes, he would have lots of time to read and explore.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry's Discovery

Though still early in the term, Harry had discovered that the homework load in the sixth year was different. He had fewer classes, since he was only taking his N.E.W.T. courses. That meant no more trips to Hagrid's for Magical Creatures, no more trips to the tower or the forest room for Divination, and no more Astronomy. It also meant that the classes he did have were longer and more intense. Snape and potions was still Snape and potions, and Harry doubted that would ever change. Certainly not in this lifetime.

After breakfast, Harry excused himself from Ron and Hermione and wandered down to the edge of the lake. He told them he had some studying to do, and so he did, taking his discovery from the restricted section to read in depth. For some reason, Harry had decided he would read through the entire book. He reasoned that his evident lack of knowledge about relationships would be best served by careful study.

As he began reading the book, he found himself relating it to his own experiences. The first potion was described as being for Brief Love. Harry thought about his evening with Parvati, or rather the brief part of it when they were actually together. Maybe this would have made things better, although he thought a dancing potion for him might have helped more.

Next came a potion to Forget a Prior Love. He could have used that to help Cho get over Cedric. Looking back, it seemed that every time they were together, Cedric's memory also made an appearance. Now, Harry realized he would always have that bond in the eyes of others; Cedric being the boy-who-didn't-live.

Next, a potion to Prompt a Choice. Harry laughed as his first thought was forcing Hermione to chose between Viktor and himself. It was somehow too obvious, but it also started Harry thinking about his friends and their relationship. His thoughts continued to drift. He thought about other books that had affected his life. Moste Potente Potions had started part of his trip that ended in the Chamber of Secrets, but Tom Riddle's diary had also been involved. All these books, he noticed, seemed to lead to the dark arts. Well, he reasoned, maybe all dark arts weren't bad. It all depended on how they were used, and who was using them on whom. Dumbledore had used an anti-disapparation jinx at the ministry last year, and that wasn't bad. Well, he grinned, Lucious Malfoy probably thought it was.

What would Ron and Hermione say if he brewed a love potion. Ron would think it was very funny...he didn't seem to worry about relationships with girls and always laughed at Harry's attempts. Hermione would understand...wouldn't she? What if he used it on her? Now THAT was an interesting idea.

Harry set the book aside and focused on his thinking about how he really felt about Hermione and Ron. He remembered Hermione's explosion when he and Ron acknowledged that she was a girl, back in their fourth year. He also remembered how wonderful she looked with Viktor, wearing that periwinkle-blue dress robe with her hair done differently. He had discovered that she wasn't a little girl anymore. While her being with Viktor had surprised him, her developing figure was also something that he noticed. Did he want to trade places with Viktor? He told Victor there was nothing between them. Had he lied? How did he really feel about Hermione? He thought he had known, but now he wasn't so sure. Had things changed? Where was this train of thought taking him?

He was returning to the book when he remembered last summer. After a few days with the Dursleys, Harry had gone to visit the Weasleys, and Hermione had also come to the Burrow. With the death of Sirius, and the destruction of the prophecy, the Order had new tasks, and a secret headquarters wasn't as important. Plus, the Ministry acknowledgement of Voldemort's return meant that the Order could focus on new tasks.. Harry had stayed with the Dursleys only long enough to maintain the protective power of Dumbledore's charm.

It happened that when they received the reports on their O.W.L.S., Harry and Hermione were together, away from everyone else. They had gone for a walk, leaving the Burrow far behind. They were sitting and talking in the orchard, when the owls appeared. Harry had hugged Hermione when she read her letter, and she returned the hug after Harry opened his own grades. Somewhere along the way, she kissed him on the cheek and he somehow felt brave enough to do the same. It felt so good, that he tried to do it again, but Hermione moved and he missed, hitting her right on the lips.

Despite their mutual surprise, neither of them tried to stop, and it became a lengthy kiss by any standards. When they did separate, they each stared, neither wanting to break the moment. They said nothing, but communicated silently. Harry sensed that she thought it was enjoyable and somehow overdue. Harry thought it went well, and wanted to try it again, but his nerve failed and they just sat there. Ultimately, Ron's call from down the hill broke the silence, and they never said anything more. Not that thoughts weren't there.

Harry's current thoughts were interrupted by his stomach, suggesting that lunch was overdue, and he returned to the castle, hiding the book in his backpack. Sitting at lunch, his hands and arms automatically fed his face, while every other part of his being was thinking about Hermione, sitting across from him. No less than five times, she asked him if he was all right. When they both got up to leave, she came around the table and put her arm around him, pulling him nearer.

"Are you really okay?" she whispered. "You seem so distant, so...so far away."

"No... I mean...yes. I'm okay. I was just thinking, out by the lake," he said as they left the hall and stopped at the bottom of the stairway. Harry's speech was coming in disjointed lumps.

"I thought you went out to study," she said quietly.

"Well, I was studying...and thinking." He smiled, or rather smirked as he thought about what he had been studying and what he had been thinking. This, of course, only brought on more questions.

"What are you grinning about?" Hermione was hot on the trail now, and Harry knew she wouldn't drop it until she got an answer. He struggled to come up with something that would end the conversation. Somehow his brain left him behind, but he engaged his mouth anyway.

"I was thinking about you, and me, and...er...well...when we got our O.W.L.S."

Now the door was open, and Harry watched Hermione carefully. Would she step through it? What would she do? He was certain that she wouldn't back down.

Simply put, Hermione was stunned. Harry knew of no spell or curse or hex that could have stopped her as completely. Harry almost enjoyed the moment...stopping Hermione was not an easy thing to do, and he seldom accomplished it, even by design. Slowly, her look changed, from absolute astonishment to something else. It was a look that Harry had never seen. She began tugging him down a deserted corridor, stopping where there were no pictures to overhear them.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked gently. "Was it about our grades, or...or...something else?"

Harry was somehow emboldened by the situation, and decided to press his advantage of catching her off guard. Although he knew he might change or even destroy their relationship forever, he somehow had to continue.

"I was thinking about when I kissed you, and how it made me feel, and whether I wanted to do it again," he spat out in one quick phrase. Hermione continued to look at him, this time as if she was appraising a valuable painting or antique. They both remained silent as she continued her evaluation. Harry had nothing more to say, and Hermione didn't seem to know what to say. Finally, she summoned a voice to respond.

"And what did you decide?"

"Er...well...I didn't decide. I just...I...er...I thought it was something that we should both decide. I mean, it...it's...well, it's not just up to me, you know." He was making this up on the fly, and his nerve was just about spent.

"How polite," she responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Harry braced for the explosion that seemed to be coming now that she had recovered from the initial shock. But she stopped and started smiling again, a very vulnerable look that Harry had never seen before.

"Well, if you're taking a vote, I vote yes," she said, pausing. "But with some conditions." Now Harry braced for the worst, as she was obviously going to create a whole text book of rules.

"What are they?" he asked. Might as well play the game now that the cards were dealt. Harry suspected this was like exploding snap and you never knew when it was coming.

She led him into a deserted room and used her wand to lock and seal the door. Turning, she smiled again, advancing towards Harry and pushing him onto an old sofa in the corner.

"First condition," she said as she moved her face directly in front of him and pulled his lips to hers. The fire was lit now, and there was no going back. Harry was briefly distracted by the thought that this was going rather well. When she broke the kiss, he was smiling broadly, but she wasn't done.

"Second condition," she said and she offered her lips again. This time, her tongue moved to his lips and forced her way between them. Harry reciprocated, and they rolled together to the end of the sofa. Finally spent, they both drew back for a moment.

"And most important, the third condition," she said, again with the funny look on her face. As she moved her lips to his, mouth open in anticipation, she wrapped her hand around his and guided it under her sweater and up to her breast. Harry's mind and body exploded as she encouraged him to explore.

Some minutes later, they paused. They alternated between relaxed contentment and hyperactivity, both wanting to race down the corridor they were exploring and also wanting to stop and examine every nook and cranny. She rolled off of Harry for a minute and gathered her breath.

"There's one more condition, I think, but I'll cover that later," she said. Harry had no idea what it was going to be, but thus far he had no complaints.


	3. Chapter 3

A New Dilemma

Usually Sunday was even more relaxed than Saturday, especially this early in the year when exams were far away and homework was still manageable. It was often completely free from school issues and students did almost nothing structured. However, when Harry awoke, it felt more like the morning after Hagrid rescued him from the Dursleys five years ago. He often thought of that as the first day of his life, and now that feeling arrived again. His only thoughts now were what he and Hermione were going to do; where we they headed?

At breakfast, she sat on his side of the table for a change, and they were constantly touching each other, sharing nudges or bumps or tickles. Ron slept late and wasn't there to notice the change. Apparently, no one else did either.

It was dry, and still warm outside, and they decided to go out by the lake, taking books and a blanket with them to make it appear like a study trip. Harry led the way, going around the corner and past the flat shore to a group of bushes far away.

"Why here?" Hermione asked.

"This is where I conjured the Patronus the night Sirius escaped." Harry was still working through Sirius's death, but his anger was spent and he found he could talk about it. "To me, it's kind of a special place...and...well, you're very special."

Hermione smiled back, looked around, and observed that it was also pretty private. They both started to speak again at the same time...

"We need to ..." they both began, and then stopped and laughed. "I know," said Harry. "What do we tell Ron?"

Hermione looked at him with new respect. Harry had gained confidence. She didn't expect that he had seen this far ahead and seemed very proud that he had also anticipated the problem.

"Well, I guess we just tell him," she said.

Harry thought about that for a moment. "No, he deserves better. I don't know how he feels, but we can't just say we're together and he's out. What about his feelings?"

Again, Hermione was impressed with Harry's thoughtfulness.

"I don't know. Do we need to tell him today?"

"No, but we probably can't keep this secret for long...especially from him. He's not completely..." Harry had started to say "dumb", but that seemed very cruel. "He's not...well, he's going to notice things."

Hermione pulled him over on the blanket and leaned over his face. "We don't need to worry about that right now." She kissed him and then stopped. "Let's worry about this for a while."

After a few frenzied minutes, they took a break. Harry decided to start in a new direction.

"I went to the library Friday night."

"And..."

"I went to the Restricted Section."

"And..."

"I found a book that was...well, it was the book that started me thinking yesterday...out here by the lake."

Hermione looked at him with great curiosity. She had no idea where this was going.

"I brought it because I though you might find it..." He was going to say "interesting," or maybe "inspiring," but then he thought better of it. He felt twinges of the old Harry, the no-nerve Harry rising again. He wasn't so certain now that Hermione would think much of the book.

"What is the book?"

"Well, I'm not certain I should show you. You might think I'm being silly or something." Now Harry was really retreating, and Hermione knew it. She wanted it to stop now. She liked the new Harry a lot better.

"If you liked it, then it's fine with me," she stated. "After all, it got us this far." Harry was lost for a moment, and decided to change the subject.

"So, ah...what's the fourth condition?"

Hermione smiled immediately. "Wouldn't you like to know," she teased. "Here you are barely meeting the second condition and you're asking about the fourth. You're out looking for the snitch before the quaffle has even been tossed."

"But you said you'd tell me later, and now it's later," he demanded, but with a smile.

Hermione glanced around to see how hidden they were. For a moment, she stared at the bush that shielded them from anyone coming from the castle, then she dug into her backpack and took out her wand.

"Sensoria Proxima," she uttered, and a black streak flowed from her wand to the bush. It was accompanied by a mild shaking and a little glow.

"All right," Harry said with some impatience. "What did that do?" He thought she was showing off again.

"I found that when we were working with you on spells for the maze. It makes the bush into a sort of alarm. It will start howling if anyone else comes near it."

Harry marveled again at all the things Hermione learned from books. Maybe he could share the book with her after all. But not just now.

Hermione seemed satisfied that the spell had worked, and now turned to face Harry on the other side of the blanket. She slowly removed her sweater and placed it aside. Harry could see that she was wearing nothing beneath her blouse, and her nipples were clearly erect.

"I think you need to review conditions two and three before you go on, you know, just to make sure you have a good understanding," she said, just as if she were teaching a class. But then she leaned in to re-start the kissing. Both shirts came off quickly, and they spent the next hour in a thorough review.

"Do you know how long I've wanted this?" Hermione said breaking the silence after a pause. "It's been forever."

Harry didn't really know how to respond. Everything he thought to say sounded lame, and he didn't want to go back to being socially challenged. So he just smiled. That seemed to be enough.

"Tell me about the book that you got. Why did it make you think about me...or us?" Now he was in real trouble. The only book he brought with him was THAT book, and she knew it was there since he had said it was before.

"I'm not certain that you'll understand what I was thinking," Harry replied, trying desperately to buy some time. "It might seem really dumb."

"Harry, do you remember back when we fell into the Devil's Snare on the way to the Sorcerer's Stone?"

Harry nodded, confused by her abrupt change of topics.

"Do you remember that I told you to relax...and you wouldn't...and I kept insisting...and when you finally did, the Snare released you. I told you that night to trust me. It's the same thing here...you have to trust me. We can't have a relationship built on anything but trust. I will never hurt you and I know you will never hurt me. That means we can share anything and trust each other. I trusted you yesterday...and you told me the truth." She grinned a little now and continued. "And see, your trust didn't hurt you, did it?"

Harry had to admit, looking at her nearly naked body that so far, this trust thing seemed to be a pretty good deal.

He reached into his bag and brought out the book. It was time for confession...no going back now.

They rolled together in the middle of the blanket, and he opened the first page.

"I didn't get very far. It has Love Potions in it." Harry turned through the opening pages and came to Prompting a Choice. Here goes nothing, he thought.

"I got this far, and I was thinking about what you would say if I made a Love Potion. Then I thought about what you would say if I used this one on you. You know...er...to choose between Victor and me."

Hermione looked over at him, then back at the page, then back at him. The silence seemed to last forever. She finally spoke.

"I think that's very funny." She smiled, and then grinned. "But you never needed a potion to help, you only needed to make me an honest offer." She paused and then started to turn to the next page. Harry froze. He knew what was on the next page. Sensing his fear, she stopped and looked at him.

"Harry, I love you. I have for a long time. I want to be with you, just like this, forever. I don't want us to struggle because of what we've been through. You'll always be the boy-who-lived; I know that. I'll always be muggle-born; you know that. Together, we can get through anything they throw at us...we already have. What is anything else compared to Voldemort?"

Harry stopped breathing as he heard Hermione talk more seriously than he had ever heard. She was often serious, but this was from her heart. His pulse raced as his brain processed what she was saying.

"What's on the next page?" she asked quietly.

Harry nodded his assent to her, and she turned the page. Both his breath and his heart stopped as the printing came into her view. She started reading the title and then stopped and turned to look at him. Time simply stopped as she looked deeply into his eyes...

"Well," she exhaled smoothly. "That's a potion I think we're going to want...and real soon if I'm not mistaken."

Harry could hardly believe what she had said. She leaned over towards him, smiled that little smirk, and read a couple more lines. "Good thing it only takes a hour to make. Think you can wait that long?"

Now it was Harry's turn to grin, just a little at first, and then from ear to ear.

"You have about 1 second to wipe that grin off your face, Potter." Hermione was trying to sound like Professor McGonagall in her best commanding voice.

"Or what?"

"Or this," and she started kissing him again. This time, Harry was ready, and after a few kisses, he decided to see how ticklish she was. He quickly found his answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione's Surprise

Planning ahead had never been Harry's strongest trait, but on Monday morning he was determined to get certain things done. Since N.E.W.T. classes were smaller, sixth years had more open schedules, and Harry had the early morning free. He decided to use the time to work on the potion. Part of the Snape's N.E.W.T. curriculum was independent study, and he expected everyone to produce samples of potions made between classes. While Harry wasn't about to submit an anti-pregnancy potion, he could use the N.E.W.T. student's space and supplies without question. Fortunately, the ingredients necessary were readily available in the classroom.

Harry had copied the instructions carefully, reading and re-reading each line to make certain he hadn't missed anything. This was one potion he didn't want to fail! He slipped the parchment between the pages of his book and went off to the dungeon to work. Hermione had an early class and went her own way, after a couple of knowing bumps and touches at breakfast.

Harry had been working for a few minutes when Ron walked in and sat down at the next table.

"What did you do yesterday?" he asked.

"Er...nothing really," Harry lied. "Hermione and I went down to the lake and reviewed some Charms notes and just talked about things. What did you do?"

"Well, I got up late, and you were already gone. After lunch, I played some chess and then wrote a letter to Fred and George, to see if they had anything new they wanted me to try out." Harry had the impression that something else was on Ron's mind, but he wasn't sure how to ask.

"What are you making?"

"It's supposed to be a Calming Draught, but I think I left something out." Harry had thought this one through in case anyone came in while he was working. He knew that the two potions had similar ingredients, and the difference in color would be easily explained if he had omitted the flax oil and the ground beetles...

"You really seem to be getting into this potions thing. Is Snape any better?" Since Ron wasn't taking potions anymore, he wasn't there to see how Snape was treating Harry in class.

"No, he's still the same. But since there aren't many Slytherins in the class, he doesn't seem to favor them as much. I mean, all four houses are together, and there's not many of us. Usually, he just ignores me and I ignore him."

Ron still seemed preoccupied with something, but he didn't offer any explanation. After a few silent minutes watching Harry check and re-check the book, Ron lost interest and left to get ready for his next class. Harry was left alone with his potion and his thoughts. His mind started racing as he replayed the last three days. What was going to happen next? Was this all real? Did he really spend most of yesterday lying with Hermione near the lake?

As the potion simmered, he thought about each little action. His finding the book...the confusion of thoughts...Herminone's reaction...the room down the hall...the blanket by the lake. What's next? Well, he knew what was next, sort of. It was something that every teenaged boy dreams about and fears...the first time. How would he do? Would they get it right? What can go wrong? Hermione was right, he concluded...they just had to trust each other and work through the rough spots together.

Harry walked over to the shelf and grabbed several bottles for the potion. Usually you just made one sample flask, and threw out the rest. Not this time. Harry had checked...this potion could be stored for a long time without problems.

After Charms, Harry and Hermione had lunch and tried to keep up appearances. It didn't work very well, although no one seemed any wiser. They had double Transfiguration in the afternoon and spent the time before dinner in a corner of the common room.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"It looks just like it's supposed to," Harry answered. For a change, he was proud of his potion work.

"I think we should do some more reading," Hermione grinned, and Harry knew what she was talking about. This time, he had no advantage, since neither of them had looked at the next pages of the book. Looking back much later, he decided that not knowing what came next probably saved his life, since he would have died had he known.

"Where?" he asked. He was concerned about getting the book out of his trunk, and they certainly couldn't read it in the common room or the library.

"Maybe the same room as Saturday. We can go down the corridor by Sir Cadogan, and then down the east tower stairs; no one will ever see us." It was obvious that Hermione had given this great thought.

"Right now?" Harry asked. Did she really want to sneak down before dinner?

"Yes...I mean, I want to...if you want to." Hermione was working hard to remember that these were decisions that they both needed to be comfortable with. But she knew what she wanted, and she was pretty certain that Harry wasn't going to complain.

"Okay, I'll meet you outside in a minute," he said, and left to go up to his dormitory.

Ten minutes later, they settled onto the sofa, with the door locked and sealed. After a couple of passionate kisses, they opened the book and paged forward to the anti-pregnancy potion. Hermione looked deeply into Harry's eyes and reached to turn the page. They continued gazing at each other, and then looked down.

"Holy Quidditch!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry turned bright red. Below him on the page was a very graphic depiction of a charm to Enlarge a Woman's Breasts. They both just stared, not knowing what to think, or do, or say. Finally, Hermione broke the tension.

"Well, now we know why this was in the restricted section," she said in a somewhat offhand way. Harry was still looking for someplace to hide, or at least hide his face. Hermione continued. "You know, we probably have to look at things differently now...I mean...well...we can't pretend we don't know what boys and girls look like without clothes." Harry looked at her and started giggling. Then Hermione started too, and they sounded like Parvati and Lavender, two of Gryffindor's renowned gigglers.

Harry finally controlled his emotions enough to speak. "Should we go on?" he asked, knowing that the next page might even be worse. Hermione again surprised him with her answer.

"I think we should deal with each page as it comes. Would you like my breasts to be bigger?"

"WHAT?" Harry was completely over his head now. Where was she going?

"I mean...well. ..some boys really seem to have a thing about this." She referred back to the page for a moment and then continued. "There's a reversing charm too, so...we...er, you...well, it's possible."

Harry was completely stopped. First, the idea was, well, kinky. And now, Hermione, HERMIONE!, was suggesting she wanted to try it. He was lost at sea, without a map or chart or anything to guide him. He had no formal, or even informal, sex education. As this thought came, he started laughing, thinking of having a such a talk with Uncle Vernon.

"I didn't think it was that funny," Hermione said, immediately regretting the tone in her voice. This was the new Harry, and she didn't want to crush his new-found spirit.

It was Harry's turn to explain, and his grin grew bigger and bigger as he told her what was funny. Soon even she was laughing as she visualized the same conversation. Hermione finally brought the conversation back to the open book.

"I'd like to try it," she said. "You know, my mother's aren't very big, so mine probably won't be either. It's like when Malfoy hexed my teeth...we can always reverse it if we don't like it."

"Hermione, I like you just as you are. You don't need to do this for me."

"I know, Harry, but we are trying lots of new things, aren't we? We could try this too." It was beginning to sound like Hermione liked the idea, and Harry wasn't against it yet. He just hadn't thought it through very far. "Let's do it after, well... you know...ah, later."

That sounded okay, and they set the book aside for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

A Room for the Night

It was the week of Halloween, and the weather had finally turned. Hermione met Harry for breakfast on Tuesday with a new twinkle in her eye. Now what! Harry didn't mind her moods anymore, because they all seemed to be good, and he was learning to look past the minor irritations in his life. After all, when you know that someday it's either you or Voldemort, little things become really insignificant...not that he thought what they were planning was little or insignificant.

"Now what's got you all excited," Harry asked with his mouth full of bacon.

"Thursday!"

"So, what about Thursday," Harry continued. Thursday was Halloween, but other then that it was just another day unless she meant...that.

"Thursday is our anniversary. It's a special day, and I want to celebrate."

"Anniversary of what," Harry asked.

"Five years ago, you saved me from the troll, and now I want to celebrate by having you save me again." Hermione's face was covered with the silliest _expression he'd ever seen, but lately new expressions were becoming a regular occurrence between them.

"Okay, I'll bite. I can understand the troll, but what am I saving you from this time."

She moved closer to him and whispered. "I'm tired of being the Scarlet Woman, and I want you to save me from my terrible future as an unfulfilled woman."

Harry turned red, which was rapidly becoming his most common color when they were together. That soon? Somehow setting a date made it even more intimidating. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, but I...I mean we... need to find the right place."

"How about the storeroom...or maybe the Room of Requirement?"

"I thought about that, but once we activate it, other people can see the door, and we might be interrupted. That's not something I want to think about ever happening."

Harry was quick to agree that interruptions weren't part of the plan.

"I've got an idea," she said. "Since I don't have a class this morning, let me go exploring."

"Don't let Filch catch you, or there'll be all kinds of trouble."

"Don't you see? I can tell Filch that I saw someone wandering around, and as a Prefect I needed to insure that no student was out of bounds. He has to accept that, and I can go almost anywhere."

Hermione had obviously given this some thought, and Harry was happy to let her work it out. He had to admit all of her plans for them had been okay so far, not withstanding the breast charm.

After breakfast, she started down the third floor corridor where Fluffy used to hang out, looking in each room to see what was there. This part of the castle wasn't used much, and there were lots of vacant rooms. Near the end of the corridor, she found just what she wanted. It was an old classroom, probably used for magical creatures, judging from the cages and the debris on the floor. In the back was a smaller space, about the size of a bedroom, with a few shelves and not much else. It did have an outside window for light, and the door was stout and solid. She spent a few minutes looking over everything and decided this was the place.

In the next hour, she cleaned the room, conjured some decorations that made it more pleasant, and moved in two simple chairs from the classroom. Upon leaving, she cast several spells and charms on the door, ensuring that it couldn't be opened without a lot of work, and then similarly blocked access within the room. It would take an army to get in, short of Apparation, and she knew that couldn't be done at Hogwarts.

Now there was only one thing left to do, and she wandered around the castle looking for two chairs that would complete her plan. It didn't take long.

"I found a great place for us," she reported during lunch. Harry wanted to respond, but she kept running her hand up and down his leg, making normal speech almost impossible. Harry WAS responding to her touch, and Hermione knew it. She kept up a conversation, while almost making him explode. He tried to keep a neutral _expression, lest Ron and Neville notice his dilemma. Once she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "It serves you right for all the tickling. You have no one but yourself to blame, Potter."

Harry thought that Thursday was going to get here way too fast, but it seemed to be taking forever.


	6. Chapter 6

An Invitation to a Party

As was traditional, the great hall on Halloween was decorated with thousands of lighted pumpkins and other seasonal treats. At lunch, the house ghosts outdid themselves with a mock battle, with the Bloody Baron taking the final round from Nick. There were rumors about the entertainment for dinner, but Harry wasn't thinking about dinner right now.

Thursday meant that he had double Charms after lunch, and then nothing more until Friday afternoon. He did want to complete another optional potion on Friday, but right now his thoughts were all about tonight. Ron, on the other hand, wanted to talk about a different tonight.

"What do you want to do after dinner?" he asked. "There's a big chess tournament in the library, and McGonnagal and Flitwick are going to do some demonstration stuff for the first and second years. It might be fun to kip in and see that." Harry just didn't have an answer that would stand up, and Hermione wasn't helping at all. They'd put off saying anything, and now they were stuck.

"I...er...haven't thought about it yet. I just want to see if I can get the...the a...Hermione, what's that new Charm we're supposed to know?" Harry couldn't come up with an explanation that worked; maybe she could.

"It's Counter-Rotation, remember?" She had picked one that she knew Ron didn't know, even though both she and Harry had mastered it on the first try. "And then there's that Engorgement Charm that you wanted to try." She was sitting across from him, and her foot moving up his leg told him exactly what Charm she had in mind. She just smiled, and left Harry hanging out there again. He was left to plot some revenge, and several ideas came to mind. Finally Ron bailed him out.

"Well, Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw wants to play me in chess, so I guess I'll go there." Both Hermione and Harry sensed that there might be something more than a chess match going on, and they looked at each other, exchanging silent thoughts. Maybe Ron would solve the problem for them. He left, and now there was no one else at their part of the house table. Hermione took out a small envelope and passed it across to Harry.

"Here are your instructions," she said. "You need to follow them very carefully."

"Aren't we, aren't you and I, uh...huh?" Harry asked. He was surprised she was being so formal.

"It's your anniversary card, and your invitation to a party." Hermione's grin told the story, and she was going to enjoy every minute of the chase. "You might want to eat some more lunch, because your dinner time is going to be taken up with other things."

Harry took the card and continued to tolerate her moving foot for a couple minutes before heading out to the Charms classroom. Just for spite, he sat at a different table today, but it didn't work. Hermione promptly sat down at his new table, and began nudging him with her leg. When she thought her wand work was sufficiently distracting, she used her other hand to create even more problems for Harry, beneath the table.

After class, Harry fled to the library and opened the card. On the outside were several dozen animated hearts, that danced around and changed colors. The instructions inside were very simple.

Roses are red

Violet are blue

It's time to get on

With what we want to do

In an alcove just north

Of the prefect bathroom

Is a special new place

`neath the gathering gloom

Find a chair in the shadows

And sit for a spell

Then get out your wand

Just whisper, don't yell

The spell that you want

Is on page 63

Speak slowly and clearly

You'll soon be with me

All my love

Harry read the note again and again, trying to figure out what spell he was to use. There was no page 63 on the note. Then it hit him: it was his Charms spellbook! His hands immediately dug into his backpack, and he flipped through the pages. No, he had guessed wrong...page 63 was a spell about cooking potatoes. NOW WHAT?

As he looked at the clock, his frustration grew. Hermione had said something about 5 o'clock, and it was now after 4:30. As he stared at the cooking potatoes, he noticed some small writing on the margin at the bottom of the page. His heart leapt...it was Hermione's writing!

Altervesco

Harry ran from the library all the way to the Gryffindor tower and dumped everything on his bed. He had only a few minutes to clean up and prepare, and he didn't want to be late to his own anniversary party.

With two minutes to spare, Harry set off to find a chair. He had, thoughtfully, gotten Hermione a gift for the occasion. As he walked briskly, he thought that was pretty good. He was beginning to understand something about women, and he knew he'd know a whole lot more after tonight. Hopefully it would be things to do and not things to avoid. Sure enough, there was a chair sitting behind the statue. It looked like it had been there forever, and Harry discovered that it was stuck to the floor. Hermione had taken no chances on it being moved somewhere else. He took out the note and read the instructions again. Well, he thought, here goes nothing, and pointed his wand at the chair.

There was a rush of air, just like moving by portkey, and Harry left the chair behind. Suddenly, he was sitting in another chair, in a small room with soft, flickering lights and the gentle scent of jasmine. Hermione was sitting on the edge of a big platform that was covered with pillows and comforters. She was radiant, and he had never seen her prettier. She moved over to him and took his hand, leading him to the bed without a word. After what seemed like forever, she kissed him gently and whispered "Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary to you," Harry responded, and gave her the small box. She smiled, as if sublimely happy, and started to open it. Harry watched as she pulled the ribbon to untie the bow and lifted the lid. Her eyes began to tear as she gazed inside, then she looked up at

Harry.

"It's beautiful," she said as she pulled the ring from its plinth inside. "Do you want me to wear it all the time?"

Harry had thought about this already, another sign of the new Harry. "I would like you to put it on a long chain, and wear it around your neck, down here," he said, touching her between her breasts. "That way, I'll always be near to your heart."

Now the tears really started, and Harry figured that he had done well. She started hugging him and wouldn't let go. The evening was off to a great start.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"This is our place at the castle. It will be only ours, and there's no other way to get in here. I did some work on the doors, and even Peeves and the ghosts can't get in through the walls."

"Wow, just you and me?"

"Unless you want to invite others," she laughed. "Maybe we could rent the place out."

Harry grinned. "I can't see a prefect running a bordello at Hogwarts."

"Probably best if we keep this private," she nodded and agreed.

Now they both realized that the small talk was done, and Harry drew her to him. As he slid his hands around her, she shuddered. There was electricity in the air, and they both felt it. They lay back together, and Harry drew gentle circles on her body. Hermione reached down and began opening his shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of his pants, and on over his head. Next came her blouse and bra and his pants and her skirt. They had been this far before, but they were now about to turn the next page in the book again.

They paused by mutual consent, and Harry looked at her. Her smile told the whole story, and she nodded her assent to continue. As Harry just looked at her, drinking in her love, she took his hand and pushed her knickers down, exposing the folds within. Harry gasped as he ran his hand through the tight curls and on between her legs. God, could he keep himself under control for long enough?

Hermione pulled off his shorts, and ran her hand over his erection. He nearly died. She gasped, and almost drew back, thinking it was never going to fit. Harry continued to work at self-control. Hermione moved beneath him, and opened her legs wide. Now Harry was lying in the middle, and he could feel how close they were. All of a sudden, he was lost. Where exactly did this go. Hermione had already that figured out, and lightly guided him to her opening. He could feel her lips touching him. Should he push? How hard? He knew that this was would be painful for Hermione the first time, and he didn't want to cause her pain, he just wanted to love her.

"Push a little," she whispered. He responded and felt her lips part as he slid in a short way. She gasped, but not in pain, and she reached around him to pull them together.

"Don't stop," she gasped. "It feels so good, and I want you inside me so much." Harry thrust forward again, and she pushed back; they were together. He drew back a little, and experienced a feeling beyond belief. They were, well, doing it!

Hermione seemed to be somewhere else, with a dreamy expression on her face. Harry had no idea what to say. He gasped as she pushed him further in. He drew back again, and then they both pushed. Harry went all the way in, and Hermione gasped as she became a woman. Oh God, she thought. The feeling was beyond belief. Harry moved to get more support and take his weight of Hermione. As he did, they both drew back again and then pushed together. Harry knew he was losing all control, and the end was imminent. Hermione sensed the same thing, and their thrusts became more rhythmical, and more violent. At last, Harry gasped loudly as all thought left him, and he was done. Hermione held him tightly and he felt the moisture on her breasts and body as their motion slowed.

Neither of them wanted to speak. Harry was afraid they he had hurt her or hadn't performed very well. Hermione was simply spent, and didn't want to do anything but hold Harry tightly. So they just lay together, saying nothing.

Harry finally had to move. Not only was he very uncomfortable in this position, but he had to find out if she was okay.

"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked gently.

"I have never been better, ever," she responded. "That was so incredible. I never dreamed that it could be like this." She paused. "Harry, I love you so much. You were wonderful, and I ...I...don't know what to say."

"Did I hurt you too much," he asked. He knew it sounded crude, be he had to know.

"No, you were wonderful. I wish I could just have you inside me all the time. The feeling was beyond anything." She stopped, and looked deep into his eyes. "I can't describe it. Would anybody notice if we spent the night here?"

"Yeh, I'm pretty sure someone would notice," he responded. "Like everyone in Gryffindor, and most of the rest of the school."

"Well, it's still early, and I want to stay here with you for a long time."

"Okay, then what's the fourth condition?"

Hermione smiled. "Your getting closer, but you're not there yet." She guided his hands up to her breasts, still damp with sweat, and looked up again. "Would you like to try a larger size?"


	7. Chapter 7

Friday Surprise

How does life get any better than this, Harry thought as he awoke on Friday. He could still smell Hermione on his body, and the scent of the jasmine was equally alive. What he really wanted to do was tell his parents that he had found the happiness they had had, but he suspected they might already know. He pulled the curtains aside and glanced over at Ron. How to tell him...how much to tell him? Yah, there was that, wasn't there.

It was still early, but Harry got up and headed for the shower. He had plans for the day, and, more importantly, he wanted to make plans for the next day. It was Friday, which always included a Friday night, and Saturday was a Hogsmeade weekend. Lots of opportunities, he thought.

He arrived early for breakfast, and it seemed that most of the castle was sleeping late after Halloween. Gradually, the rest of the school wandered in, many looking somewhat worse for lack of sleep. Harry had to eat very slowly, simply to keep an excuse for hanging around. He spent some of the time looking at his potions book, selecting something to brew this morning that he would submit as a sample.

Finally Ron came in, and Harry was glad Hermione wasn't there; now they could talk privately.

"How was the chess game?" he asked, trying to steer the subject directly to Ron's activities and away from his own.

"It was okay. Mandy's better than I expected."

Harry thought about that. Was Ron being cryptic, or did he not realize that what he said could be taken two ways?

"Did she beat you?" Maybe Ron had a bad night.

"No!" Ron exclaimed. "I don't lose playing chess, at least not very often." Harry sensed that something remained unsaid, and Ron wasn't being very forthcoming.

"Let me guess, she DID beat you, didn't she." Ron was touchy some times, but Harry's smile allowed him a way out.

Ron grinned a little, between bites of scrambled egg. "I let her win once, but I could have won them all, if I wanted to." Harry thought for a minute. They seldom played more than one game, probably never more than two. Ron never played multiple games with the same person...NEVER! And he let her win...what was that about.

"So, how many games did you play?" Harry continued pushing a little. If Ron had something going, it would let him off the hook, and he and Hermione wouldn't have to explain anything.

"Six, but then we went outside." Looking at Ron, Harry was sure that he just let something slip. They went outside. Why would they do that unless they...

"Sounds like a full evening. Was it fun?"

"Well, it wasn't quite what I expected. Now I know how you felt when Cho stopped you at the DA meeting last Christmas." Harry knew he was getting somewhere now. He needed to push just a little bit more. Let's see where Ron thinks this is going.

"That bad, huh?" Harry sympathized. "Did she...ah...attack you?"

"Well, kinda...no...not really. I...I dunno, it just sort of happened."

"Good, bad, or what?"

"Good, I guess. I mean, I liked it, and she said she wants to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow, so...we're going."

Harry felt like a weight the size of Voldemort had just been lifted from his shoulders. "Good job, mate! At least you're not as big a prat as me." Harry was determined to offer encouragement, since it was good for Ron, and good for Harry. "Just like Quidditch, I knew you could do it."

Ron grinned, and resumed eating. Harry turned and realized that Hermione still hadn't come down to eat. Where was she? Was she okay? When they parted last night, everything was fine, or at least she said it was, and Harry hadn't sensed any problem. He kept waiting for her, but the hall was clearing and morning classes were about to start. He was starting to feel conspicuous, having been here early, and now late. A sense of dread crept into his mind. What had happened?

At last, he had to leave. He paused in the hall, go down to potions, or go up and find Hermione? He went up, but she wasn't in the Gryffindor tower. He thought about checking their room, but decided that she might want to be alone, and if she was there, he would trust she was okay. He went to potions.

Harry completed two potions before lunch, amazing even himself. They both looked just like the book described, and he was beginning to think he might be able to pass the potions N.E.W.T. if only Snape stayed out of the way. He was still worried, though. Hermione, who also didn't have a class this morning, still hadn't appeared, and he really expected she would wander in sometime. He cleaned up and went to lunch, leaving his sample flasks carefully placed on the submission shelf.

He was visibly relieved when Hermione came in for lunch, sitting down beside him. Her _expression was difficult to read, but not for long. She said hello, said hello to Ron across the table, and then slid her hand to Harry's leg. Oh no, he thought. She's at it again. With not a single word more, she used her free hand to spoon some stew onto her plate. Then, and only then, she smiled at Harry. These games were going to kill him, long before Voldemort got the chance.

Shortly, Harry was ready to leave for class. He needed to get away from this evil woman before she completed bewitched him, which, as he thought more, he decided, she already had.

"Hermione, we need to get to class. It's Friday, and we have double Defense against the Dark Arts, remember?" Hermione smiled that big Cheshire-cat smile she had.

"Yes, you really need to study, because there are lots of Dark Arts you don't know, and you need to arm yourself for what's coming," she responded. What the HELL was she talking about. That smile, and a warning of impending doom? What was she planning now? Harry was beginning to think he had unleashed a monster without ever realizing it.

For Harry, and Hermione, and in fact anyone from the DA, class was boring. All the things they were learning (or being taught) were old hat...Harry had covered them last year. The end came when the professor mentioned, in passing, a Patronus, followed by a comment that it was very difficult and undoubtedly beyond any sixth-year student. Fortunately, the professor didn't understand the laughter that this comment generated. Even Neville had succeeded last year, albeit with some extra coaching from Harry. (Harry told him to imagine Bellatrix going back to Azkaban).

As they turned the corner towards the east tower, Hermione grabbed Harry and simply said "Ten minutes." Then she walked off. Harry assumed that meant a visit to his now-favorite chair, and headed there after dropping his books on his bed.

Hermione was sitting on the bed when he transported in. The cat grin was still on her face, and he knew that spelled danger, especially for him.

"WHERE were you this morning," he demanded, trying to seize the initiative before she could. "I was really worried about you," he added somewhat softer.

"I was reading...privately. I didn't want anybody around, not even you." She immediately realized that she conveyed the wrong message. "I mean...well...I... wanted to study some things about us, about..." Harry recognized his advantage. She was flustered, and he grabbed her arm in mock seriousness.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" he said sternly. "I need to know that you're all right. I was worried, and it was even worse when I couldn't find you. I can't very well ask, you know! `Has anyone seen my girlfriend Hermione, I seem to have lost her'"

Hermione pulled back. She had forgotten that she needed to consider Harry's feelings a little more seriously now. This wasn't a relationship that she could run by herself. She had hurt him.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I was doing it for us and I just never thought about what you would think because I was thinking about what you would think." Tears were forming in her eyes, but when she looked at Harry, he was grinning.

"Do you realize how stupid that was...what you just said, I mean. You didn't think about me because you were thinking about me?" Hermione started to laugh with him, but the tears were still there. He was right, but she knew she had hurt him.

"I'll never do that again...I promise." She pulled him close and started kissing him. As usual, at least lately, the problem was resolved quickly by some serious snogging.

Harry broke loose for a minute. He had news to share.

"Hermione, Ron played six games of chess with Mandy last night, and then they went for a walk outside. He told me this morning."

"Are they going out together?"

"Ron says she asked him to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow, and he's going to do it!"

Her eyes lit up. "One less problem for us...good for Ron." This was the analytical Hermione talking, not that she was wrong. Harry often found himself thinking about how things affected both of them now, and he also found that very pleasant.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" They hadn't made any plans (at least none that Harry was aware of) and this was probably a good place to start.

"WE," Hermione started, "are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow." She pronounced, as if it was a sentence from the Wizenmagot. Harry looked a little downcast.

"Do we have to? We could be here instead."

"I didn't say we're going to stay in Hogsmeade, at least not for long. We need to be seen there so everyone will know where we are. Then we can be anywhere we want." Obviously, Hermione had given some thought to creating a cover story for the weekend. "First things first, however. You have some new spells to learn before tomorrow."

Hermione stopped. She hadn't thought this all the way through and suddenly she knew Harry was going to be upset with her, and he had every right to be. She had jumped ahead of him, when she was the one saying they would do things together.

"Harry, I need to apologize to you. I did something this morning that I shouldn't have done. I just realized that. I was thinking only about myself, and that was wrong. I only wanted the best for us, but I broke our trust, and I'm sorry." She was tearing up again, and Harry knew this was Hermione speaking from her heart again. Harry had to find a way to let her out of whatever hole she was in, and do it gently.

"Tell me what happened," he said quietly. "It doesn't matter what you did...only we matter, and I know you're still getting used to that. So am I." Much later, Harry was proud of this time: it was just the right words at just the right time. Hermione reached to the far side of the bed and pulled out the book. Harry stared, knowing that it was (or should be) safely hidden in the bottom of his trunk.

"I waited for everyone to go to breakfast this morning and then went into your room to get this. I wanted to read some more, to see what else was there. I was wrong...we said we'd do this together. I was going to..." She stopped, and Harry knew it would take a supreme act of bravery for her to continue. Her look told it all. He had to find a way to let her explain without building on the guilt she was feeling. He took her hand.

"Hermione, it's all right. It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. I broke your trust, and I was the one who said you had to trust me, and then I ..." The tears were flowing rivers now, and Harry knew it was time for drastic action.

"Do you know why I love you?" he interrupted, pulling her closer. "Because there's nothing you can do that I don't like. Even when you screw up, which isn't very often, it always works out for the best...for our best! You're sitting here crying because of some stupid book. Is that what's important? No! What is important is us. We found each other 5 years ago. We were both completely out of place here, you were muggle-born and me, well...I didn't know anything. Somehow we've made this place our real home. Now we've been blessed with this love, and we can't let something this small destroy it."

"You said `trust me' and I do. I didn't agree that you were perfect, I didn't agree that we would never disagree or have a fight, I didn't agree that we should have 19 children...I agreed to trust you, and I still do. Whatever you did, or didn't do just doesn't matter. I love you."

It was probably the longest speech Harry had ever given, certainly the longest he'd created on the fly. Hermione's eyes continued to run. She sobbed loudly, and grabbed him. "I don't deserve you. You're so wonderful." Harry could see this was running its course, and simply held her so she could work through it. He remembered Hermione saying that all he needed to do with Cho was hold her when she was crying, and right now that seemed like good advice. He just didn't know how to make it end faster, and he wanted Hermione to feel better. He began gently stroking her hair, running his hand over her head and shoulder, pulling her into him.

"Hermione," he whispered, "it's all right." She sobbed again. This wasn't working, but he had to do something. Time for new approach.

"Hermione, if you don't straighten up, I will take drastic action." He reached down to her side, and prodded one of her ticklish spots. She jumped. He did it again. Same result. Maybe this would work, he thought, and he launched a larger attack. She began to respond. He put the gentle Harry aside, and brought out the assertive Harry. Both hands moved to sensitive areas and a full assault began. Hermione was giggling, then laughing, then begging for mercy. He had succeeded, and decided to lighten up.

"Just remember this the next time you let your hands wander at lunch," he said sternly. "There will always be consequences for the things you do."

Hermione looked up at him through her tears and smiled. It was that smile of satisfaction she had last night. God, Harry thought, she's beautiful. He had gotten her back from the edge, and he felt pretty darn good about it.

"So, you read ahead of the class. You know Umbridge isn't going to be pleased about that. What did you find that you disagree with this time?" Harry had to let her know he wasn't really mad, but his curiosity was killing him. What was on the next page, and the next. Knowing Hermione, she probably read the whole book and memorized it to boot.

Hermione looked at him as if she was scared to admit what she knew. Harry wasn't going to wait much longer. "I can always go get Veritaserum, if I need to." This was a high-stakes threat, although they both knew it was part of the game.

"I found some things I want you to try."

"On you?" he asked. She was ready for this one, and that goofy smile came back again.

"On lots of people, including me."

"Show me what you found," he said, thinking that things might okay after all. "What do I need to learn?"


	8. Chapter 8

Harry and the Dark Arts

Harry and Hermione walked down the path from the castle towards Hogsmeade. They had planned the day carefully, though a great deal was going to be left to chance. Their potential victims would provide the rest. Hidden away were Harry's map, and a written list of spells they might try. Harry still couldn't get over the change in Hermione. She wasn't Bellatrix, but she had definitely turned much darker. Maybe she just thought is was payback time after 5 years of continuous grief from certain Slytherans.

As they walked into Hogsmeade, they paused outside Honeydukes to watch the crowd inside. The owners were scrambling behind the counter to deal with all the students lined up to buy. They probably thought the school was their personal Gringotts on weekends like this: boatloads of Galleons were changing hands.

Harry spotted Draco coming up the street, and they ducked into the alleyway to let him get by.

"Do you want to start with him," Hermione asked.

"Nah," I want to see what he does with Pansy first. They didn't have long to wait, as Pansy came right behind him. When she caught up with Draco, she whispered something, and Draco turned to see Harry and Hermione behind them.

"I suppose you think you're something special, Potter, since they let you play Quidditch again." Draco wasn't about to stop baiting Harry, using any opportunity available. But Harry could play the game too, however, as Draco was now finding out. "Too bad. I hear they won't let your dad out of prison to see your games this year, Malfoy."

Malfoy reached for his wand, but Harry was ready. They both glared for a moment and then Pansy and Draco moved on. Harry and Hermione followed.

"Will it still work if I get her from behind?" Harry whispered.

"I don't know. It didn't say anything about that. It just said that it takes a minute to take affect, and they only grow a little. You have to use it several times if you want to make a really big change." Harry knew all of this, but he wanted to confirm his memory.

Harry took careful aim, while hiding behind a tree. "Engorgio Latica," he whispered. Nothing happened. Harry turned to Hermione. "Did I do it wrong?"

"No, that's exactly what it said. Maybe it doesn't work." Harry tried it again, slightly louder. Still nothing.

Down the road, however, Pansy stopped and looked around. Both Harry and Hermione were invisible behind the tree, but they could still see her. Why had she turned around? Did she notice something? Maybe the spell was working.

Harry put his wand away for now and they started walking towards Pansy and Draco. As they got closer, they could hear them whispering.

"I don't know what it is, but I feel funny," Pansy was saying. Draco was never very concerned about the feelings of others, even Pansy, but for the moment he was listening. "Are you going to be sick?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. I just feel...well...like I'm being squeezed. It's hard to breathe."

Hermione could hardly keep from laughing. After they walked on by, she leaned over to Harry. "She's being squeezed because her bra is too tight. It's working!" She paused to look in the window at the post owls waiting for assignments. In the reflection, she could see Pansy trying to shift her clothing to make it stop.

"Harry, do it again. Make them really grow."

Harry pulled out his wand and moved behind a garbage can. He had a clear shot, and the spell didn't seem to leave a trace: no noise and no light. This was too much fun, he thought, as he fired the spell again, and then again. It was finally payback time, for interviews with Rita Skeeter, and nasty comments, and all the other abuse. Harry was having the time of his life. Was this like James abusing Snape? Yes, it probably was, he thought, but, unlike Snape, Pansy and Draco had it coming. This all started back in the first year, and Harry had waited a long time to return the abuse. Pansy was really uncomfortable now, and it wasn't to hard to see why, even if you didn't know what was happening. Hermione was almost in tears from laughing.

"We should get Draco right now too," she said. Harry thought it was worth a try and moved behind the garbage can again. "Engorgio Proteesa," Harry whispered. Again, there was no noise and no light, but the result was immediate. Draco was obviously in some discomfort. The front of his robes didn't hide his problem, and he was still trying to deal with Pansy's issues also. Harry was really going now, and he fired the wand again. Draco moaned loudly. People even turned their heads to see what the problem was.

Harry and Hermione moved on. They had created problems that wouldn't go away. Draco would be in pain for a while, and Pansy would be different forever unless someone knew the proper spell. Harry thought that was even funnier, since he probably had the only book with the necessary information. Then Harry had an idea. "Hermione, maybe next week I should shrink them, until they nearly disappear." They both started to laugh and had to move on when people started starting at them also.

Now they wanted to find Crabbe and Goyle, but they didn't seem to be anywhere. To Harry, it wasn't worth spending too much time, since he had other interests. He ducked into another alley and pulled Hermione with him.

"What are you doing?" she asked impatiently. His first kiss answered the question, and they hid for a minute to remember why they were together.

"Let's go back to Honeydukes and see if we can escape," Harry suggested. Hermione agreed and they started back down, past the Shrieking Shack toward the bottom of the hill. As they rounded the last corner, they came face to face with none other than Delores Umbridge. Harry and Hermione both gasped, trying to think of what to say. Fortunately, she walked on by without even acknowledging them. Harry recovered first.

"Big one or little one?" he asked.

"Definitely big...real big!"

Harry slipped back around the corner and into an alcove that hid him from view. There weren't many people right here, and he had an open field.

"Orgio Maximus," he whispered, and again the wand did nothing he could detect. At least not right here. Down the street was a different story, and it was obvious that Umbridge was noticing something. She began to walk oddly, and then stopped and leaned up against the nearest building. If Harry suspicions were correct, she was experiencing her first orgasm, right here in public, on the streets of Hogsmeade. Harry turned to see Hermione also learning up against the wall...but she was laughing.

"You probably just made her day, Harry," Hermione forced out between giggles. "I think you've done enough damage for today. Shall we continue on?" Harry took one last look back...Umbridge was doubled up, trying to hide whatever it was she was feeling.

Honeydukes was still busy, and the stairs to the basement were easy to reach without being noticed. They raced along the tunnel back to school, pausing only to check the map before popping out of the witch's hump. Without a word, they headed different directions. Their chairs were waiting.

Harry got there first, and was waiting when Hermione appeared. He had an idea that he hadn't discussed with her, and he was going to give it a try. He called her over and began undressing her. When there was nothing left to remove, he pushed her gently to the bed and stretched out her right arm.

"Incarcio," he said, and a restraint quickly bound her hand to the corner of the bed.

"What are you doing," Hermione demanded as she struggled against the binding.

"I'm tying you up, or tying you down. I can never remember which is which." Harry thought his play on words was very funny, and his usual grin immediately reappeared.

"You're what?"

"You heard me," Harry answered as he stretched out her left arm and repeated the spell. She was struggling even more now, but Harry wasn't going to stop. "It's time you had a little lesson in obedience, and I'm going to give it to you. You can fight all you like, but nothing's going to change."

Hermione didn't know what to do. Obviously fighting with him wasn't going to work, so she tried pleading. "Please, Harry, I want to hold you."

Harry completed the bonds with each foot and then sat back to admire his handiwork. Hermione was stretched out and helpless. "I think it's time for you to experience what Delores Umbridge now knows about. However, in view of your prior mis-behavior, you will have to survive the old-fashioned way, no magic allowed."

Harry began to lightly kiss her, starting around her neck and moving slowly to her body. He flicked his tongue around her nipples and she stopped fighting and start moaning, softly at first and then louder. Harry was taking his time. Not only was he trying to please Hermione, but this was also a female anatomy class for him. It was, after all, not a subject that was covered at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry moved his attention lower, kissing her navel and moving on. Hermione was getting louder and louder, and he knew he was having the desired effect. He was moving slowly to see what effect he was having. He wanted to know where the buttons to push were located. He wanted her to experience the pleasure that she brought him. God, she's beautiful, he thought

Harry broke off and moved his lips up next to her ear. "You're so beautiful," he whispered as he nibbled and licked her ear. She moaned again and he cataloged another spot to re-visit later. Then Harry had an idea. He reached down to his backpack next to the bed and took out his quill. A silly grin appeared as he moved back to her body. His started kissing her again, moving from her navel to her thighs. She gasped and kept gasping. The moans were timed to her breathing, which was going faster and faster.

Harry could taste her now, and he decided to be bold. He reached in and gently spread her lips, inserting his tongue between them. Hermione screamed, but Harry knew she wasn't in pain. It was, however, a sound unlike anything he had ever heard before. Hermione was losing it, and Harry was happy. He had wanted her completely beyond control. He wanted her to climax. But first, he wanted to prolong her pleasure.

He took the quill and started gently riding the feather up and down her thighs. She lost all vestige of control and her body started shaking in uncontrolled movements. She was nearly there, and Harry was ready for the last step. He moved his lips close to her mouth and whispered.

"It's time, Hermione. Let go, and feel only love." She shrieked, and came as Harry slid his fingers deep within her. Hermione wasn't the only one who could learn from reading, Harry thought. He let her back down slowly, keeping up a quiet conversation to insure she knew it was okay and that he loved her very much. Finally, after many minutes, he looked at her body covered with the sweat of passion, and released her bonds. She didn't even react, at least immediately. Then she slowly moved her arms up, closing them around Harry like a flower contracting for the night. She pulled him to her kiss, and spoke at last.

"If I die right now, it wouldn't matter. I will never feel anything more wonderful that the love you have given me. Harry, I..." She stopped. Words simply couldn't convey what she wanted to say. "I can't say what I want...I don't know any words to use that begin to sound adequate." She stopped again. His smile said he already knew, and he knew that she did too.

"It's okay, Hermione. I understand. You do the same thing to me." Hermione was shaking her head, as if to disagree. "No, I could never do anything like that," she said. Eventually, she rolled over and began undressing him. When she finished, she pushed him roughly to the bed and grabbed his wand.

"However," she said, "I'm certainly going to try." Before Harry could respond, his hands were bound, just as Hermione's had been, and he knew he was in serious trouble. Now it was her turn to explore, and like Harry, she had been reading. Hermione wasn't being quite as subtle, but she heard that boys didn't need so much attention. Harry's raging erection seemed to confirm that information. With everything else under her control, she sat on his chest with his wand in her hand.

"I'm going to give you one chance, and you better behave." Harry was puzzled now. What did she have in mind.

"I will release one hand, and you will perform as instructed, or else! Is that clear?"

Harry nodded his assent, and she opened the binding on his wand hand. She placed the wand in his hand and continued to sit on his stomach.

"Do it," she commanded. At first he didn't know what she meant and started to protest. Then he realized that she wasn't leaning forward over him for no reason.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I SAID DO IT! DO IT NOW! TWICE!"

She obviously wasn't going to back down. When he had said the words, she took the wand away from him and re-anchored his hand. Then she sat on him and they both watched as her breasts grew larger. From time to time, she would squirm on top of him, just to keep him interested, or so she said. He could feel both the juice from her lips and the sweat from her body as she wiggled around.

Now she looked down at him and started explore. She ran her tongue over his nipples, and, to his surprise, he responded also. She teased him by bringing her nipples just within reach of his tongue, and she let him kiss them sometimes. It was all a tease, and they both knew it. The bad part was that Harry couldn't do a thing to stop her, and she wasn't about to stop by herself. It was still payback time in Hermione's world.

Finally, after Harry thought he was going to die a million or so times, she stopped.

"It's now time for you to learn about the fourth condition."

With that said, she slowly kissed her way down his chest. She paused and slowly placed her hand around his erection. Harry gasped. She looked up at his face, smiling like the cat again. "This is the ultimate potion, or so they tell me." Harry now knew what she was doing, but he couldn't prevent it. She lowered her lips and his brain went into overload. It was a feeling he could not begin to describe. She moved slowly up and down, and he found himself thrusting with her. It was going to be all over soon.

As he reached the final spasm, he screamed out her name. "Hermiiiioneeeee," escaped from his lips, but she continued licking and kissing him. And then he died.

Later, Harry realized that he probably didn't really pass out. It just seemed that way. As he came back to consciousness, he knew she had released him. She was lying beside him, both of them covered in sweat. When he moved, he could feel her skin slide on his. She had her hands around him, holding him but not restraining. He wanted to say something, but had no words to use. He opened his eyes, and found hers looking at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. He nodded, and smiled. He was just utterly spent, and had no energy left.

"You know," she said quietly, "Hogsmeade weekends will never be the same." Harry nodded again, and then thought about something he had not yet shared with her.

"Hermione, I have something else that I should tell you. It might affect our plans."

She thought this sounded serious, although it might be Harry setting her up again. "What is it?"

"Dumbledore called me in when we first got back to school this year. He said that Sirius had left some instructions in case...well, in case he didn't make it through this time. Kreacher was given to the Malfoys, since Sirius thought they deserved each other." Harry paused, somewhat scared to proceed. This was getting REAL serious.

"He left the house, and his money at Gringotts to me." Hermione stopped breathing. What was Harry suggesting?

"I've thought I might go there during the Christmas holidays and do some cleaning. Dumbledore said that he can put a protective charm on it, and with him as secret keeper, I would be safe. He also said I might even be able to spend part of next summer there. Of course, something more might happen with Voldemort before then." He paused, and then laughed. "It should be a lot quieter, too. They sent Sirius' mother away also."

"The point is," he said, summoning up all the nerve he could find, "would you like to spend Christmas with me?"

Hermione gasped. Her face answered long before her mouth would work. "Harry, I want to spend every Christmas with you." Harry closed his eyes to consider his future. His sixth year was turning out pretty good.

"19 CHILDREN?" she shrieked.


End file.
